Legalization of Cannabis Has Resulted in Increased Poisoning

Legalization of commercial cannabis edibles in Canada has led to the largest increase in cannabis poisoning up to nine times in young children under the age of 10 years as per a study at The Ottawa Hospital, published in JAMA Network Open. The study, for the first time, has reported the cannabis poisonings among children of an entire region.

The team investigated all ED (Emergency Department) visits in Ontario from January 2016 to March 2021, that is, period of pre-legalization, legalization, and commercialization of cannabis.

“Canada’s approach to legalization was intended to prevent increases in child cannabis poisonings through policies limiting the strength of cannabis edibles, requiring child resistant packaging and education for parents and caregivers. Unfortunately, the rates we saw in our study suggest the approach has not met that goal. As more places around the world consider legalizing recreational cannabis, we need to learn how to better protect children from cannabis poisoning,” says lead author Dr. Daniel Myran, a family physician, public health and preventive medicine specialist, and postdoctoral fellow at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa Department of Family Medicine.

Source-Medindia